THE WHEEL OF TIME - Ontario 1998

During these movements tension is executed by tensing the muscles of the body. The tensing is accompagnied or enhanced by curling the torso inward, as if turning oneself into a ball. It was said that this facilitates jumping between the furrows of the wheel of time. The entire set is a matter of tensing and relaxing the body.
The wheel of time is represented by a circular plate made of a light, but stiff material abourt 40 cm in diameter, and a few centimeters thick. When it is held horizontal, the eyes look across it, right above its surface.

The Individual Passes:

1) The left hand clutches the tip of the right foot. The right leg remains folded. The right hand is put on the right knee. You kick the heel down in between the legs. Repeat the movement 10 times. Mirror.

2) Cross the legs now. Take the wheel in the right hand with the thumb on one side and the other fingers on the other side. Put the wheel on the right side of the body, at the height of the face at a 45¡ angle and the forearm makes a movement diagonally down to the right. The left hand does the same on the left side without the wheel. In this movement the two forearms go down to form a little roof. Tension is built up in the axillae, the forearms and the pectoral muscles; relax in the upward position, tense downward. Repeat the movement ten times. Mirror.

3) The left hand clutches the tip of the right foot while the right hand is put on the on the right knee. The leg is extended and a scooping movement is made like with a spoon. Repeat 10 times. Mirror.

4) The legs are crossed. The right hand keeps the wheel exactly at the height of the eyes, not in front of the face, but at the side of it in a horizontal position. The left hand is extended with the fingers up and it approaches the rim of the wheel. Turning the torso, this movement is one going well to the right side in a horizontal plane, tensing while it goes to the side and relaxing while it returns to the original position. The left hand accompanies the movement as it it pushes the wheel till the edge (without touching it). Repeat the movement ten times. Mirror.

5) The right hand is placed on the right knee, the left hand on the instep of the right leg, almost touching the ankle. Make an abrupt movement to the side, pulling the foot up with the left hand, and pushing the knee down with the right hand. Repeat this movement 10 times. Mirror.

6) Sitting crossed-legged, take the wheel in the right hand and put to the right of the body, at the height of the face at a 45 ¡ angle. The left hand approaches the wheel with the palm facing its surface. The movement is going up diagonally to the right as if pushing the wheel up; the left hand accompanies the move. The muscles tense in going up and relax when the wheel returns to its original position. Repeat the movement 10 times. Mirror.

7) The left hand takes the tip of the right foot, the right hand takes the foot on the outside, more of less at the height of the heel; the right elbow remains underneath the right knee, and presses it lightly; the right forearm remains in this way parallel to the calf. The next movement consists of pulling the heel to a position above the groin, tilting the torso forward and counting till three. Repeat the movement 3 times, at the end of each tension, you extend the leg as far as the hands, that support the movement, can go. Mirror.

8) Sitting cross-legged the right hand keeps the wheel in a vertical position to the right side at the height of the face. The left hand has its palm facing the surface of the wheel. Both hands hit forward with a light push of the torso, exerting a lot of tension and energy in pushing forward. Repeat 10 times. Mirror.

9) Take the tip of the right foot with the left hand; put the right hand on the knee. The leg is stretched pointing to the zenith. The right hand pushes the knee downward, so the leg is straight. The fingers of the left hand pass down to the heel to support the leg. Count till ten and repeat three times. Mirror.

10) Sitting cross-legged take the wheel in the right hand and put it in a horizontal position to the right side of the body, at the height of the face. The palm of the left hand is kept near the rim of the wheel througout the movement. Hit forward tensing the muscles. Repeat the movement 10 times. Mirror.

11) The left hand clutches the tip of the right foot, the right hand is put on the knee. The leg is stretched and turns first to the right and then to the left while it is held up as far as possible. The left hand may run down to the ankles as a support, the left leg is folded back. This movement must be done with maximal tension. Count till ten and repeat three times. Mirror.

12) Sitting cross-legged the right hand keeps the wheel vertical on the right side, slightly above the head; the wheel descends a bit as it turns horizontal, then passes in front of the eyes and continues horizontally to the left. Then it comes back the same way and slopes up to its initial position. The left hand accompanies it, the palm of the hand close to the edge of the wheel. Repeat ten times. Mirror.

The long form

The long form consists of a combination of movements (1+2, 3+4, 5+6, 7+8, 9+10, 11+12) performed simultaneously; in this manner one hand holds the wheel of time, and the other holds the opposite sideÕs foot. Here, the foot always moves in unison with the hand, meaning that the leg stretches become quicker movements. Begin with the wheel of time put down on the floor to the right of you. Take the wheel in the right hand, do the first move ten times (or as many times as you want), then gracefully pass the wheel to the other hand by holding it horizontally in front of the eyes. Then do the movements on the left side and in a similar fashion pass the wheel back to the right hand for the next combination.
At the end of the last pass however, you put the wheel down on the floor to your left side, symbolising the jump across the wheel of time.